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Award-Winning Regional Journal of the Arkansas Trucking Association
Arkansas Trucking Report is owned by the arkansas Trucking
association, inc. and is published bimonthly by matthews publishing
group. for additional copies, to order reprints of individual articles or
to become a subscriber to ATR, contact Julia hamra at 501.372.3462.
publisher
JENNIFER mATThEWS KIDD
matthews Publishing group, jennifer@matthewspublishing.com a TRagIc coNTRadIcTIoN
executive editor
LANE KIDD Three years ago a young man walked into a trucking company and applied
contributing writers
STEVE BRAWNER JENNIFER BARNETT REED for a job as a truck driver. The application process went well. So the
brawnersteve@mac.com jbreed13@gmail.com
SAm EIFLINg JohN SChULz company offered him a job—subject to passing a urinalysis—the federally
sameifling@gmail.com jdschulz@aol.com
ERIC FRANCIS ToDD TRAUB mandated drug and alcohol exam that helps make sure we keep drug
eric.francis@yahoo.com toddtraub@centurytel.net
CALLIE hoyT abusers from operating our tractor trailers.
calliehoyt@truckingalliance.org
art director
JoN D. KENNEDy As a matter of corporate policy, the company also required the applicant to pass a second drug
The Freelance Co. LLC, freelanceco@comcast.net
production editor exam—by removing a small half-inch snippet of hair and having it tested as well. You see, a urine
ShANNoN NEWToN test can identify drugs in your system over the last few days. Hair can identify drug use over the
ad production
DEAh ChISENhALL, DUSTy ToWNSEND last few months. It’s the preferred method in corporations where people are employed in high
illustrator
BRENT BENNETT security or safety sensitive occupations.
brentdraw@att.net
photographers
JoN D. KENNEDy, BoB oCKEN, JohN DAVID PITTmAN Although he passed the urinalysis, the hair test revealed he was a heavy cocaine user. So the
trucking company sent him on his way.
A couple weeks later he showed up at another trucking company a few states away. Again, he
www.arkansastrucking.com applied for a job as a truck driver and the application process and interview went well. The
president company offered him a job, subject to passing the federally required urinalysis. He passed the exam
LANE KIDD
lanekidd@arkansastrucking.com
vice president and was hired and began transporting long-haul freight across the country.
ShANNoN SAmPLES NEWToN
shannonnewton@arkansastrucking.com _________________________________
director of operations
SARAh NEWmAN ShEETS
sarahsheets@arkansastrucking.com
public relations coordinator It was around midnight that a Colorado policeman spotted a tractor trailer going westbound in the
JULIA hAmRA
juliahamra@arkansastrucking.com eastbound lane of I-70 outside Denver. He gave chase in the westbound lane, blue lights flashing—
executive assistant
KATIE ThomASoN for nine, long, heart pounding miles. Still the policeman could not get the truck driver to stop.
katiethomason@arkansastrucking.com
special projects assistant
TAmARA RoBINSoN And then it inevitably happened. The rig plowed into an oncoming car, killing the driver, a 71 year
tamararobinson@arkansastrucking.com
ChAIRmAN oF ThE BoARD old grandfather. The truck driver was unhurt. In his post-accident drug test the truck driver was
gARy SALISBURy
Fikes Truck Line found to be in an alcohol and cocaine induced haze. Yes, it was the same young man in our story.
President & CEo
BoARD oF DIRECToRS
mARR LyNN BEARDEN mARK moRRIS This tragedy could have been avoided. But there was a flaw in the system. The second trucking
marrlin Transit, Inc. morris Transportation, Inc.
President President company personnel didn’t know this applicant had tested positive for cocaine only weeks earlier. If
ALLEN BERRy DR. JohN ozmENT
Central States manufacturing, Inc. U of A/Walton College of Business they had, he wouldn’t have been hired.
Transportation Director Chair of Transportation
gREg CARmAN PAT REED
Carman, Inc. FedEx Freight
President Executive Vice President & Coo That’s why U.S. Senator Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) and Congressman Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) led the
DAN CUShmAN g.E. “BUTCh” RICE III
P.A.m. Transportation Services, Inc. Stallion Transportation group way last year and persuaded Congress to create a national drug and alcohol clearinghouse. Now,
President & CEo President & CEo
CRAIg hARPER TRACy RoSSER by next year, trucking companies will ping a database to see if their job applicants have previously
J.B. hunt Transport, Inc. Walmart Transportation
Executive Vice President & Coo Senior Vice President
AL hERINgER IV Roy SLAgLE tested positive for drugs.
Star Transportation, Inc. ABF Freight System, Inc.
Vice President President & CEo
BLUE KEENE JEFF SmITh But there’s a second critical problem. You won’t find people like the truck driver in this story in
Tyson Foods, Inc. Utility Tri-State, Inc.
Transportation Director President the database. He passed his urinalysis, both times. You see, the U.S. Department of Health and
SCoTT mANChESTER WAyNE SmITh
Truck Centers of Arkansas Wayne Smith Trucking, Inc.
Vice President, Truck Sales President Human Services (HHS) sets the drug testing guidelines for the Department of Transportation.
mIKE mCNUTT VICKI JoNES STEPhENS
Distribution Solutions, Inc. C.C. Jones, Inc. Even though its charge is to keep drug abusers out of our trucks and off our highways, the
CEo, owner President

RoDNEy mILLS STEVE WILLIAmS HHS has refused to recognize hair testing as an approved method for identifying drug users.
USA Truck, Inc. maverick USA
Vice President & general Counsel Chairman & CEo So the DOT doesn’t either. This means those positive hair test results can’t be submitted to the
clearinghouse, permitting thousands of drug users like our truck driver to skirt the system.
an affiliate of the american Trucking So, Pryor and Crawford have vowed to persuade HHS for them—to pass legislation directing HHS
associations
Arkansas Trucking Association (ATA) is an Arkansas corporation of trucking to recognize hair testing as an option in pre-employment testing for truck drivers. A good idea, a
companies, private carrier fleets and businesses which serve or supply the
trucking industry. ATA serves these companies as a governmental affairs life-saving idea, and they deserve our help.
representative before legislative, regulatory and executive branches of
government on issues that affect the trucking industry. The organization also
provides public relations services, workers’ compensation insurance, operational
services and serves as a forum for industry meetings and membership relations.
For information, contact ATA at:
1401 West Capitol, Suite 185 Lane Kidd
Post office Box 3476 (72203) Drivers Legal Plan
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 President, Arkansas Trucking Association
Phone 501.372.3462 Fax 501.376.1810
www.arkansastrucking.com lanekidd@arkansastrucking.com
Drivers Legal Plan
arkansas Trucking reporT | issue 3 2013 7